Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of toothbrushes designed for a tooth and gum brushing technique that will not loosen or lift the gums during use as the toothbrush brushes in the direction of gum growth. More specifically, the present invention relates to the field of toothbrushes for tooth and gum brushing and tooth and gum health by having a unique combination of brush geometry, of specific brush rotational direction and brush movement from gums to the crowns of the teeth in the direction of gum growth. This combination will not loosen gums.
Current toothbrushes, manual and electric on the market, tend to loosen gums as they brush across the direction of gum growth causing receding gums, sensitive teeth, gum line cavities, and inviting gingivitis. Thus, the present invention relates to the field of toothbrushes having, a rotating bristle assembly, and a reversible rotational direction so as to implement a brushing technique having the brush rotate in a direction from the gum towards the crown of the tooth, and regardless of the specific tooth being brushed, which is in the direction of gum growth so as to not loosen or lift the gums and to improve gum health.
The present invention further relates to the field of video capable electric toothbrushes for proper tooth and gum brushing that will not loosen or lift the gums during use as the toothbrush brushes in the direction of gum growth and will allow the user to view the interior of the mouth while brushing.
Prior Art
Presently available electric toothbrushes have changed dramatically since the manual toothbrushes. These electric toothbrushes typically have a battery and a battery-powered motors to oscillate in circle directions the bristle bundle over teeth and gums, or to rotate continuously in one circular direction the bristle bundle over teeth and gums, or to cycle in a back and forth motion the bristle bundle over teeth and gums, or to vibrate bristle bundles over teeth and gums. Current commercially available electric toothbrushes fail to create proper tooth and gum brushing and/or dental prophylaxis procedure. All changes in types of toothbrushes from manual to electric brushes have not created an improvement in the health of teeth and gums.
All toothbrushes on the market interfere with the periodontal margin by brushing across the direction of gum growth causing loose gums accompanied by tooth and receding gums, sensitive teeth, loose teeth, gum line cavities, diseases such as gingivitis, and loss of teeth. To make matters worse, current commercially available electric toothbrushes actually work against recreating the proper tooth and gum brushing and/or dental prophylaxis procedure as they magnify harmful and counterproductive practices by the toothbrush user.
The tooth and gum brushing procedure has three main focuses: removing plaque and debris from the surfaces of the tooth, protecting and preserving the tooth enamel, and protecting and preserving the gums and gingival margin. This toothbrush and brushing technique brushes and cleans the teeth and gums, while not loosening the gums. Unfortunately, even though prior art electric toothbrushes may be equipped to power scrub debris from the tooth enamel, as the prior art toothbrushes brush across the direction of gum growth and not in the direction of gum growth, they can be damaging to the gingival margin and therefore can be harmful to the gums and teeth.
More specifically, daily home tooth and gum brushing involves bristles, which are an effective, efficient, and affordable system for clearing debris from the tooth enamel before it becomes hardened plaque. However, regardless of the “softness” of the bristle bundles, or the brushing technique and/or angle employed by the tooth brusher (the Bass method, for example), prior art electric toothbrushes inherently brush into the junction of the tooth and the periodontium. The rapidly oscillating and rotating bristle bundles (designed to imitate the professional cup-like buffing tool), the rapidly vibrating bristle bundles, the back-and-forth sweeping bristle bundles, etc. (intended to maximize the rate of bristle-to-tooth scrubbing) unintentionally force bristles into the junction, lift and loosen the gums, and force debris under the gums, all of which are harmful to the gums. This damaging tissue along the gingival margin results in lateral movement of the periodontium away from the tooth cementum-layer upon which it is anchored (a key indication of periodontium disease).
There is, therefore, a need in the art for a toothbrush, and a method for using the same, for achieving proper tooth and gum health and proper brushing and cleaning of the teeth by brushing the teeth in the direction of gum growth from the gum to the tooth crown, and not across or against the direction of gum growth, thereby, among other things, not loosening or lifting the gums. As there is no such toothbrush currently on the market that carries out this method, it is to this need that the present invention is directed. Accordingly, the present invention provides an improved toothbrush, and a method for using the same, that effectively overcomes the aforementioned difficulties and longstanding problems inherent in the art. These problems have been solved in a simple, efficient, and highly effective design for a toothbrush, and preferably an electric toothbrush, and a method for using the same.